• From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,649

Topic: songwriting

i was watching a programme featuring Albert Hammond. i was shocked to find that he neither wrote or read music. now i know that composing music doesn't depend on being able to write dots on paper, most pop writers don't; Lennon/Mccartney and many others.
Hammond performed a few of his songs, on guitar and piano, and he freely confessed he played totally by ear, he neither knew the notes on the keyboard or frett board, and he had no idea of chord names. i know i'm lazy, but learning the notes and chord names was one of the first things i did when i began teaching my-self to play. i'm still not much good but i know where to find any note you ask for!

i'm not knocking this guy, i am completely in awe of his talent and some of his songs must be modern musical classics, including "the air that i breathe" brilliant

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website

  • dino48
  • Honoured Member
  • Offline
  • From: los banos,california
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 6,801

Re: songwriting

Some people out there are just gifted with the talent. I had a friend in high school who was a very gifted artist and never took a class yet a local shopping strip mall wanted allhis art work displayed there. He was only 15 years old. It ran all weekend long as it became so popular.

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman

3 Reply by NELA (edited by NELA 2013-07-12 13:48:41)

  • NELA
  • Honoured Member
  • Offline
  • From: West Monroe, La. 71292
  • Registered: 2007-11-28
  • Posts: 1,303

Re: songwriting

I have a good friend who is able to use all his fingers, even his thumbs, to play guitar. If he hears a song he can play it. I have asked him to help me with a few songs and he cannot tell you what key he is in or the chords / notes he is playing. He says he knows it is right because it is what he hears. When he plays he is "spot on" and can play any genre of music you want to hear. He has always been kinda shy about his playing but once you get him started you don't want him to stop. He also has a very good singing voice. He say's he has never had a lesson and that he learned how to play strictly by listening to the song. In all the years that I have known him, and we went to school together, I have never seen him use a printed song or anything else written down other than the lyrics to some songs that he wrote.

nela

NELA's Website